


Kimi wo mamoru (To protect you)

by saana_13



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Gun Violence, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Character Death, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:32:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23966941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saana_13/pseuds/saana_13
Summary: He never wanted war. He did everything in his power to avoid it but he’ll be dead before he back down from the fight if they threaten him or what’s precious to him…
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue – Sho POV  
  
_„Remember, son, power is never about having people worship you or submit to you. That might come with it but it’s rarely honest and if that’s your motive that’s too late already…” the old man looked sideways at the teenager at his side._  
_A slight frown appeared on the boy’s serious features as he tried to find out the real meaning of his Father’s rather obscure words._  
_“It’s about trust and responsibility. Duty” the old man said clarifying. “One day, you’ll be the one responsible for all these people. For their lives and their livelihood. You’ll have to protect them. Whatever it takes. Hear me, son? **Whatever** it takes!”_  
_“Whatever it takes” the boy repeated nodding his head firmly. The confusion on his face turned into determination as he raised his chin. “I won’t shame you, Father” he said with confidence that only a sixteen-year old could own but what soon will be stripped away from him by their cruel world. But if he really was as strong as the old man believed him to be, he’ll stand up and be stronger and surer of himself than before… Anyway, the shadow of a smile appeared on the old man’s face at the teenager’s answer. He expected nothing less from his future successor. He only nodded his head back at the boy as confirmation._  
_Short knock came from the door then._  
_“Come in!” the old man said, moving away from the floor-to-ceiling window, leaving the boy behind._  
_“Boss! It’s time” the man with a prominent scar on his face said after bowing to the old man respectfully._  
_“Wakatta” the old man said then looking back at the boy behind him, he added: “You may leave now, son”_  
_Without a word, the boy bowed to the man then left the room, his back ram-rod straight, chin held up high. As a leader should move…_  
  
Sho stared out the window. He stood in the same room where he taught him his most important lessons. The floor-to-ceiling window allowed him to look over his whole realm. Below him, hundreds of people went on with their everyday life. Knowing nothing of the impending war that was coming, threatening their world as they know now. Sho did everything in his power in the past years to delay what’s coming but it seemed they were running out of tomorrows…  
Short knock came from the door.  
“Hai!” Sho called without turning his gaze from the window.  
“Boss! It’s time” said the tall, young man after bowing.  
Sho turned and studied the man’s sharp features for a moment. One of the few who knew exactly what they were facing yet stood by his side no matter what.  
“Everyone’s ready?” he asked.  
Not that he didn’t trust his men. But he always rather double-checked everything instead of having to live with the regret of losing even one life that could’ve been speared.  
“Hai. We all just waiting for you, Boss” the other man confirmed nodding.  
“Good” Sho said with a curt nod. “Let’s go!”  
The whole compound was buzzing. Something was starting, all who lived in his household could feel it whether they belong to his inner circle, knowing the details or not. Still none was too stupid, busy or slow not to jump out of the way as Sho and his company walked down the corridors.  
“Jun! Toma!” Sho snapped his finger to one of the prepared cars.  
“Hai!” his men responded immediately, not needing to spell out their task for them.  
“Satoshi, you’re with me” he ordered the last man remaining by his side.  
The short man at his side just nodded and slipped behind the wheel of the other car prepared at the gate…  
  
“Hisashiburi, Wakana…”  
At Sho’s voice the man named Wakana turned toward him. A sly grin appeared on the scarred face as he dropped his cigarette.  
“Look at that, the child-boss….” the man said mocking. “You almost look like someone who should be respected” he said laughing, putting his hands in his pockets, and seemingly ignoring the threatening air in the darkened alleyway.  
An irritated ‘tsk’ sounded behind Sho but the leader ignored Matsumoto – who _else_ would that be? –, just as he ignored the mockery from the man in front of him.  
“I’m not here for your respect, rest assured of that. I don’t want it, nor do I need it”  
“Then tell me, kid, what _do_ you want from me?” the man spitted out the words.  
“Oi! Kuso yaro!” Jun cried out not being able to tolerate this attitude any longer. He moved to punch the man only to be stopped by Sho.  
“You should put a leash on your puppy” the man mocked at the laughing. Completely obvious that he saw no threat in the four younger men in front of him.  
“Oi! Who do you…?”  
“Matsumoto!” Sho’s voice was almost silent, he didn’t even look at his man. With another silent ‘tsk’ Jun stepped back where he stood a moment ago.  
“I’m here for your confession” Sho answered Wakana’s question calmly as if the previous scene didn’t even happen. “Confess your treason. Now!” Sho didn’t raise his voice even now though anger was burning his insides for having to face this man only.  
“And what if I do? Will you spare my life if I confess for you?”  
“No. The only way you’ll leave this place is in a body-bag by the police when they find you. _If_ they find you” Sho said keeping up his calm and raised his gun at the man. “But out of respect for Father, I give you chance to redeem a shard of your honor…”  
Sho’s trained ears caught the barely audible noise of three other guns being pulled out behind him.  
“My _honor_? Really?”  
Even with the guns aimed at him, Wakana laughed.  
“That’s very impressive. Really, this whole theatre of yours that you brought here, actually. But you know… Rather than my honor, I choose my life. And money, of course…” the old man said.  
The next minute something happened that Sho would’ve never been able to foresee or calculate into his plan.  
A backdoor opened next to them and…  
“Then see you next week!”  
A cheerful voice was heard as a slender figure clad in jeans and white shirt stepped into the alley.  
Unfortunately, Wakana was the closest to the young man, he grabbed him, holding him before his body as a living shield and at the same time he pulled out his own gun aiming it at Sho.  
_‘It’s not happening…’_ Sho’s eyes widened for the segment of a second. It was his worst nightmare. An innocent getting in the cross-fire…  
“I think I refuse your _generous_ offer, kid” Wakana grinned at them as a maniac. “I’ll walk away and unless you want Pretty-face here…” as he talked he traced the barrel of his gun down the boy’s face. “…to get hurt… Which is, we all know, you don’t want… You and your puppies stay were you are”  
A barely audible gasp left the young man’s lips and his terrified eyes locked on Sho.  
“It’s alright” Sho said gently to the young man. “I won’t let him hurt you” he said looking straight into those frightened eyes for a moment before turning his gaze to his captor. “Let go of him, Wakana!” he ordered the traitor.  
The man just laughed as the maniac he was and pulled the trigger.  
And the next second all hell broke loose….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted at LJ


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1 – Aiba POV

“That was all for today, Masaki-kun, you can go home”  
“Let me just finish putting these away, Take-san” he answered to his employer with a bright smile, indicating to the freshly washed ramen dishes.  
“Alright but you don’t have to push yourself too hard, young man! It was a long day already, you need rest” the old chef said affectionately. His young part-timer was like a son to him.  
“Hai!” the young man said obediently with a fond smile on his lips. It was nice to have someone concerned for him. Though he still did anything he could not to be a burden to his employer.  
A few minutes later he finished straightening up the kitchen and putting away the dishes.  
“I’m finished! Otsukare-sama!” he said with a wide smile, bowing his head then headed to the back-door to gather his stuff he left in the wardrobe there. “Then see you next week!” he called back to Take-san then exited the ramen shop.  
Just to step into his worst nightmare…  
He barely had time to see the situation he walked into mindlessly. On his right, stood four young men with raised guns, pointing at an older man with scarred face on his left. And the next second his bag fell from his hand as the scar-faced man grabbed him, using his as a shield.  
‘No, no, no! This can’t be happening!’ he thought panicking. Just when he started to think that this part of his life was over… He walked straight back into it like an air-head!  
“I think I refuse your generous offer, kid” Masaki heard the man behind him. “I’ll walk away and unless you want pretty face here to get hurt… Which is, we all know, you don’t want… You and your puppies stay were you are”  
A barely audible gasp escaped Masaki’s lips when he felt the gun’s barrel pressed to his face. All blood left his face. He could hardly breathe, let alone move an inch. He was paralyzed by fear. His wide, scared eyes found the young man in front of him.  
He had no idea who he was, where he came from or why he was there. But looking into those dark brown eyes made him breathe a little easier. Like… he’d never let anything harm him…  
“It’s alright…” the man said calmly, almost gently, like they weren’t strangers standing in the middle of a battlefield. Like it was only the two of them… “I won’t let him hurt you” he promised and Masaki believed him. Then his glance slid to his captor. “Let go of him, Wakana!” he barked the order. The eyes that looked at him so gently just a moment ago were no hard and cold. It was obvious that this man was used to giving orders and having them obeyed immediately.  
But Masaki’s captor – ‘Wakana’ – just laughed and all hell broke loose…  
Masaki was not sure who shot first but he must have screamed. He felt to be dragged, then he stumbled when he was pushed away forcefully, he tried to re-gain his footing and find his balance but more importantly he wanted to get out of the cross-fire when…  
“Ah!”  
Sharp cry escaped him as white-hot pain tore his shoulder, he fell into the alley’s wall and the last thing he remembered was hitting his head to the brick wall hard before blissful darkness took him away from this nightmare…

He felt his body floating.  
For a second.  
Then pain hit him like a truck. It was radiating from his shoulder mostly but his throbbing head, and really, his whole body was a close second.  
His pained whimper changed into a weak cry when something cold, wet touched his temple and stinging pain joined in this hateful cacophony that seemed to engulf his whole body. He kept his eyes closed but still tried to pull his head away. Yet a gently but stern hand took his jaw, holding him in place.  
“Don’t move. I don’t want to hurt you but I have to take care of your injuries”  
That voice… He heard that before….  
Masaki forced his eyes open. It requested greater effort than it should’ve. The unknown room was swimming blurrily before his eyes but it slowly came into focus. Just as the man’s face who was hovering above him. Round eyes, plump lips, soft looking dark hair….  
“You…” Masaki croaked, a frown ran over his features at the very unattractive sound that came out his throat. So he closed his lips and resolved to stare at the man silently.  
When he made no other attempt to get away, the man resumed taking care of his wounds.  
“Luckily, your head injury is not serious but you bumped it hard so it’ll bruise most likely and you’ll have a headache for a while. But it’s your shoulder that worries me. It will need stiches” he informed Masaki as he finished bandaging his temple.  
“Sh’der?... St’ches…?” Masaki croaked again unable not to voice his confusion. He realized just then that his shirt was mostly cut off from his right side, and he was laid in a futon, covered almost up to his chest. He made another feeble attempt to get away, to cover himself with the remnants of his clothes.  
“Don’t move! You’re still bleeding!” the man ordered him and Masaki immediately froze at his tone, looking sideways at him from under his bangs that fell into his eyes.  
“Let me help you” he added on a much softer tone, even a faint smile appeared on those plump lips of his. “I’m trained in medicine, f that’s what worries you” he offered then waited silently, keeping his intent gaze at him.  
Masaki hesitated for a moment but in the end nodded and relaxed back into the futon yet his uninjured left arm kept hugging his body as if holding up a barrier or trying to protect himself… Still, he let the other man do what he can to patch him up. After all, his head felt too fuzzy to think about ‘whys’ or ‘hows’…  
“I’m really sorry you got caught up in all that…” the man murmured barely audible as he prepared his tools.  
Masaki just looked at him curiously at this but remained silent. Aside from an occasional whimper of hissing from him, the room was eerily silent while his shoulder was stitched up.  
“There! It’s done” the man announced with what might’ve meant to be a reassuring smile then he started to wipe away the traces of blood from his hand.  
Masaki’s eyes widened when the movements caused the sleeve of the other’s yukata to slid back, uncovering the intricate tattoo decorating the man’s strong forearm. His unblinking eyes stared at the dragon surrounded with the storm of falling sakura petals.  
“You’re…. Sakurai….” Masaki whispered and for the first time since he regained consciousness, he felt terror engulf him…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 – Sho POV

  
  
“You’re… Sakurai…”  
Hearing his name on that terrified tone made Sho’s face harden in an instant. He should’ve gotten used to it. Being a yakuza leader therefore being judged by his reputation instead of who he actually was. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. It made him unusually bitter that this young man was so frightened of him. _‘And why is that?’_ the question arise in him, sounding awfully like Jun…  
The usual, angry retort was on the top of his tongue but when he saw the other man staring back at him, paralyzed by fear, fighting for air…  
“Hey, hey! Easy there!”  
He pushed back his anger in an instant, worry for the injured man left no room for any other emotion. He pulled him up sitting, propping his back while he rubbed his hand soothingly over his chest. Trying to ease his breathing.  
“Just breathe with me…. In… Out…” Sho murmured softly.  
“I…. My…. bag….” gasped the other trembling.  
Luckily the said bag was left next to the futon, just within Sho’s reach.  
“Here…”  
The young man scrambled frantically, searching through the pockets till he finally found the asthma inhalator putting it in his mouth hastily. A few moments later he was able to breathe easier but Sho could still feel that his shoulders remained tense. He knew very well that he was the cause behind it so he slowly – and rather reluctantly – let go of him and moved away from him. Hoping that would help the young man feel safer.  
Those soft brown eyes followed his every movement. Sho settled on his haunches in front of him, in respectable distance. Silence settled over them while they just watched each other. As time passed, Sho noticed that the tension slowly but surely leave the other’s body and the terrified lights disappeared from those beautiful eyes.  
“Will you tell me your name?” he asked softly.  
“A…” he opened then quickly closed his mouth. He cleared his throat nervously. “It’s… Masaki… Just… Masaki…” he mumbled finally.  
“Masaki” Sho hummed thoughtfully. There must have been a reason why the other – _Masaki_ – didn’t want to tell his surname. And Sho will find out. His name and his reason too… But for now, he wanted Masaki to trust him. “How old are you, Masaki?” he asked since the other man seemed to be _awfully_ young in his eyes.  
“23”  
Sho hid his shock well. Cursing Wakana inwardly. _‘He’s barely out of boyhood, you bastard!’_  
“I… Am I a… prisoner…, Sa-sakurai-sama…?” the stuttered question brought him back to the present from his fuming thought.  
“ _Prisoner_?” he asked back with a raised eyebrow. “No. Why would you be?” Sho asked back, though he knew with his reputation, it must’ve been the only logical conclusion in the young man’s eyes.  
“I…” Masaki seemed to be at loss of words by this answer. He obviously wasn’t expecting it.  
Silence fell over them once more. It wasn’t Sho’s first time in this situation. Toma once said he was like an animal tamer when he was acting like this. Sho didn’t really like what it implied – that he changed something fundamental in people – but at the same time, he had to admit there _was_ some truth in the metaphor…  
“Wha-what….?” again Masaki changed his mind – or rather held back – before his question was asked.  
“You want to know what happened” Sho stated instead of asking as if he was reading Masaki’s mind. After all the question was more than rightful.  
Masaki nodded mutely.  
Sho hummed thoughtfully.

  
  
_All hell broke loose in an instant._   
_“Don’t hurt him!” Sho shouted while he fired though he knew his men were trained well and they knew him well enough to avoid collateral damage whenever it was possible. Yet he couldn’t help himself. The thought that Wakana endangered that young man filled him with such dread he never felt before._   
_Gunshots filled the air, bullets ricocheting from the walls and dumpsters._   
_Just as he saw Wakana slipping behind the corner, escaping from the alley, pained cry raised above the noise of the shoot-out. Sho’s head immediately snapped to the source._   
_“No!” he sprinted to the fallen body, landing on his knees next to him. Reaching out to examine the boy. Blood was quickly soaking through the white shirt, creating an unsettling image. Another wound was on the boy’s temple where he hit his head to the wall, small red river trickling down his neck…_   
_“Get the car!” he barked cradling the boy’s head in his lap as he heard his men approaching. “I said, get the fucking car!” he yelled again when he got no answer for the first time._   
_“Hai!” Toma jumped immediately, sprinting out of the alley, barely shooting an anxious glance to the other two men behind Sho._   
_“Boss! That bastard Wakana….” Jun started but Ohno stopped him with simply shaking his head at him._   
_It seemed Sho didn’t even hear Jun. He gathered the fallen boy in his arms walking out of the alley as fast as he could with the precious load in his arms. Ohno kneeled to pick up Sho’s dropped gun, frowning slightly as it was also slippery with blood, then he followed their boss with Jun at his heels…_   
_“Take him in!” Sho ordered Jun and Toma when they took over the injured man from him after arriving back to the compound._   
_“Sho” Ohno called him, holding him back by grabbing his arm until the others were out of earshot._   
_“Let go of me, Satoshi!” Sho snapped, jerking his arm to free himself but this was one of those rare moments when his most trusted man stood his ground, showing his strong resolve despite his usually passive demeanor – which made people underestimate him, only to realize their mistake when it was too late already._   
_“What?” Sho gave in finally, knowing he’ll be free sooner this way. Which was what he needed right now. An unknown feeling was gnawing at his insides with every passing second he spent away from **him** …_   
_“We have to take care of you first” Ohno said calmly. He pulled away Sho’s jacket, revealing the ever spreading red stain on his formerly white shirt._   
_“It’s just a graze! I’ll live” Sho said making another attempt to free himself. With all the adrenaline running through his body, he didn’t even feel when he was injured but there was no way he would admit that to Ohno._   
_“No” Ohno stood his ground, staring hard at the other man, leader or not._   
_He was the only one who could get away with gainsaying Sho. Yet he rarely used this special right of his. Only when his leader wanted to run head-first into a wall…_   
_“Fine…” Sho gave in groaning, letting Ohno escort him in and take care of his wound…_   
  
_“Get out!” Sho ordered Tome who sat next to the unconscious boy._   
_“Hai!” Toma immediately put the antiseptic down next to the medicine chest, leaving it to his boss to take care of the man’s injuries. Before he closed the sliding door, he caught a glimpse of the pained expression on Sho’s face as he looked down at the boy…_

  
  
Masaki nodded slowly as Sho finished summing up what happened in the past hours. For a little while Sho studied the younger man’s face. He went to the table by the wall, pouring a glass of water, handing it with some pills to Masaki.  
“For the pain” he explained. “You should sleep now. I promise no one will harm you in any way while you’re here” he said gently, his chest felt weirdly tight with the sudden urge to protect this man. He picked up the medicine chest. “Oyasumi, Masaki” he whispered before slipped from the room…  
  
As expected, his men stood outside the room, waiting for him. He gave the box in his hand to Toma and nodded to Ohno to follow him.  
“Boss! You sure that…” Jun started but Ohno’s eyes flashed at the taller man, effectively shutting him up. _‘He still have to learn when he should be shutting up…’_ Ohno thought before moving to follow their leader.  
“I want someone at his door. Always! When he wakes up, I want to be informed without delay” he told him before stepping into the elevator, retreating to his own floor.  
“Hai!” Ohno said before the door slid closed before his face…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 – Aiba POV  
  
  


_‘You should sleep now. I promise no one will harm you in any way while you’re here…’_  
The words rang in Masaki’s ears long after the yakuza leader left him alone. Despite being emotionally and physically exhausted; despite the pills he took, he found it hard to actually fall asleep. He felt his mind was running a mile by the second. Fear lurking in his heart yet he felt strangely safe at the same time. He heard enough about the young head of the Sakurai clan, and that promised him no good if… But what he knew of the man was in complete opposition with what his instincts told him about the man who took care of his wounds. And it confused him way too much.  
 _‘Why? Why does it have to be me?’_ Masaki thought whimpering softly from physical and emotional pain. He tried to turn around but pain shot through his whole body, forcing him to lay unmoving. _‘I never wanted to be a part of this…’_ he thought bitterly, barely noticing the tears slipping from behind his tightly closed eyelids.  
In the end it was almost morning when dreamless sleep finally claimed him…

Soft murmuring noises woke Masaki up.  
The events of the previous night came back to him in a rush. He shut his eyes tightly, and curled up in the futon as much as he could with his injured body, pulling the sheets over his head as if that would protect him reality.  
But of course, it didn’t work like that.  
He flinched – visible even under the thick covers – when he heard the door sliding open. When he didn’t hear approaching steps after the door was closed, he cautiously peeked out from his hiding place. He knew he must be looking ridiculously childish but he couldn’t suppress his mixed, confused feelings in front of such a dangerous – and unpredictable, if one listened to the street rumors – man.  
“You must be hungry” Sakurai said softly, indicating the tray he brought with him.  
Masaki wanted to deny it but – of course – his stomach chose that exact moment to grumble loudly. The young man felt himself blushing till the tip of his ears.  
“I take that as a _‘yes’_ ” the other man said and to Masaki’s greatest astonishment, he chuckled shortly. Picking up the tray, he settled next to the futon just like he did the previous night. “I’d also like to change your bandages” he explained when Masaki was caught staring at the small first aid kit that sat on the tray as well.  
Masaki regarded him silently for a while. He really tried to figure out the older man but could come up with nothing. Finally he nodded his consent. He then sat up with some difficulty but kept the sheets pulled up to his neck to hide as much of his body, as he could. This earned him an amused glance from the older man.  
“It won’t quite work this way…” he said gently.  
Masaki winced at his own behavior but dropped the sheet reluctantly, his hands hiding and fidgeting nervously under the blanket. He was grateful that Sakurai didn’t push for conversation – or would that be interrogation in this case? Masaki wasn’t sure. Sakurai worked silently, efficiently. A shiver ran down Masaki’s body when those calloused fingers kept brushing against his skin.  
“You must be cold. I’m sorry” Sakurai said misunderstanding Masaki’s reaction as one caused by spending hours in a torn top that barely covered half of his upper body. When Sakurai was finished with the bandage, he took off his shirt and covered Masaki’s shoulders with it. “It must be doing the job for now. Once you ate, you’ll be taken to the bath. You’ll be given clean clothes too” he said, those dark eyes studying Masaki’s face intently. In the meantime Masaki did his best no to stare too obviously at the man who was now sitting next to him in a tanktop only, displaying his muscled arms and chest. The yakuza leader might’ve taken his silence as agreement because he reached for the food bowl and handed it to him.  
“Why are you…?” Masaki immediately slapped his hand over his lips when he realized his mouth – again – wanted to ran away with him. One _does not_ question the motives of a yakuza leader! It was a lesson, Masaki learned at a really young age.  
Sakurai turned to look at him, eyebrows raised, amused lights twinkling in his dark eyes for a second.  
“You want to know why I do this”  
It wasn’t a question. Masaki’s eyes widened more – if that was even possible – and it must’ve meant _‘yes’_ for the other man.  
“I do this because I want you to see that I mean no harm to you. Despite what you must have heard. Nor will anybody else harm you here, I can assure you of that” the man said seriously.  
Masaki caught a hint of anger flashing in man’s eyes when he said ‘ _despite what you must have heard_ ’. He couldn’t help but wonder why that was? He was so deep in his thoughts that he automatically accepted the bowl that was handed to him. His eyes snapped to Sakurai’s face at the warm feeling – which was from the bowl _only_ , he tried to reason himself, not from the man’s touch on his hands.  
“Once you’re finished, someone will come to take you to the bath” he repeated his previous words.  
When Masaki nodded – officially not trusting his mouth not to convey something stupid or dangerous instead of what he means to say – the older man stood up from next to him and left the room.  
Masaki couldn’t help but he felt lonely suddenly…

Masaki was almost finished with the food when the door slid open again after a short knock.  
“Hello, there!” the young man greeted him with a smile.  
Masaki returned the smile a bit uncertainly as he put down the soup bowl from his hand.  
“Just give me a minute…” he mumbled as he hastily pulled the borrowed shirt closed over his chest – he totally _didn’t_ smell the faint traces of _his_ cologne on it – covering his body as much as possible.  
“It’s okay, I’m not in a haste” the man beamed at him. “By the way, my name is Toma”  
“Masaki…” he introduced himself, his smile widening slightly seeing the other man’s brightly smiling face. It was kinda infectious…  
“Here’re some clothes for later” Toma said, handing him a bundle when they reached the bathroom. “Take your time, no need to hurry. I’ll be waiting for you outside when you’re finished” Toma said with another friendly smile before left him alone.  
For a moment Masaki just stared after him. Part of him wondered how can be someone like him involved with Sakurai… Then he quickly realized how much a hypocrite he was for thinking like that. He knew first handed that it does not work like that. Sighing softly he got ready for the bath. After all it did sound wonderful…

When he left the bathroom – to be honest, that was closer to an actual bath house than just a simple bathroom – he was surprised that Toma wasn’t there waiting for him. Unsure what to do, he tried to find his way back to the room he woke up in. He couldn’t help but be amazed by his surroundings. It was like those traditional Japanese homes; hardwood and tatami floor, sliding doors and lacquer furniture… Yet when he looked out the window, he found he was actually several stories up from the ground. It was kind of a weird feeling…  
As he passed another open door, he stopped abruptly, it lead to an inner garden – well, he could see that it was actually a balcony but a traditional Japanese garden was built there – it was a beautiful sight and also Toma was there. Though he was talking another tall, dark haired man.  
He knew it was rude, he should move on because it was like he was spying but he couldn’t help himself. The intimate air that surrounded them as they talked whispering… He was kind of envious of that. But Toma spotted him the next moment. The other man also glanced at him over his shoulder, his face was serious as he regarded him rather suspiciously. Masaki felt himself blushing deeply under his stare but he didn’t look away. In the end the tall man said something to Toma and left after squeezing his hand for a second.  
Toma approached him smiling as Masaki stepped to the garden.  
“Feeling better? How are your injuries?” he asked.  
“I’m fine. Thank you” Masaki answered. “Ano…” he started hesitating. “Can you tell me about… Sakurai-sama…?” he asked uncertainly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4 – Sho POV

  
_“I want someone at his door. Always! When he wakes up, I want to be informed without delay”_  
Despite the long night, Sho was up early morning just like any other day. As he changed the bandages on his wound, he couldn’t stop his thoughts wandering to the other injured man in his house.  
“Who are you, Masaki?” he mumbled distracted then quickly shook his head. He had no time to muse about that now, things were waiting to be done…  
Sho spent most of his morning listening to his men’s reports. He never let them convey their findings on paper. It could be lost or stolen, it could be forged way too easily… Yet no one would’ve dare to lie standing in front of him, no matter how bad the news might’ve been. But even as he listened to those reports, how his rivals were pushing the limits, threatening his territory more boldly every day, always finding his weakest spots, targeting the most vulnerable ones… thoughts of a certain mysterious young man kept lingering in the back of his mind…  
It was way into the afternoon already but he was still not informed whether the boy was awake or not. He didn’t want to admit it even to himself but it bothered him on more than one level. He turned away from the sight of the Tokyo bay and went to the door.  
“Kouta!” he called the boy standing by on the corridor.  
“Hai!” the boy, not older than 14, straightened up immediately.  
“I need you to bring me some food, preferably soup, clean bandages and medicine. And get me Matsumoto” he asked the boy.  
“Hai, Boss!” the boy said eagerly before speeding down the hallway to fulfill his errand.  
Sho closed the door and walked back to the window. Things were waiting to be done…

  
  
“You called for me, Boss” Jun said once Sho allowed him to enter.  
“Yes. I have an assignment for you" Sho said turning to face his lieutenant. “We failed yesterday” he declared. He didn’t feel it below him to admit when things went astray. “We failed and an innocent paid for it”  
Jun’s eyes squinted slightly at the obvious anger burning in his leader’s voice. It was unusual of Sho to let his feelings become this obvious. But for once Ohno would’ve been satisfied to see him keeping his mouth shut when the situation required that.  
“What do you want me to do?” he asked instead of commenting stupidly.  
“Find Wakana for me. Bring him here. But if you can’t, so be it. But first find out who that traitorous, miserable excuse of a man pretends to serve now…”  
The man would’ve deserve a more painful and slower death than a clean shot in the head from Jun but every second Wakana was still breathing was an offense to… everybody…  
Jun nodded his head at the order.  
“Take someone with you” Sho added. It wasn’t for not trusting his men but he won’t send out anyone without someone there to have their back.  
“I’ll take Toma” Jun said immediately.  
“No, I have other tasks for him” Sho turned him down.  
Obviously, Jun could keep himself in check for so long. He tsk-ed and looked away from Sho, annoyance clear on his sharp features. This angered Sho though it wasn’t anything new.  
“Jun!” he snapped at him harshly, earning back the younger man’s attention immediately. “Your private life is yours alone. You know I won’t interfere with it” he said almost gently compared to his previous tone. “But when I say work, you do your job without that attitude of yours, am I clear?” he finished strictly.  
“Wakarimashita” Jun said obediently. “I’ll take Yamashita then”  
“Good. You may leave now” Sho said dismissing him.  
 _‘He’s still so young…’_ he thought as the door closed behind Jun…  
A few minutes later another knock sounded on his door.  
“Boss, I brought what you requested” came Kouta’s voice through the closed door.  
“Come with me” Sho said stepping out to the hallway.  
With the boy at his heels he headed for Masaki’s room. He dismissed the guard from the door, then took the tray from Kouta.  
“Get Ikuta for me. Then you can go” he told the boy with a smile.  
“Hai!” came the ever eager reply before the boy ran off again.  
When he was finally alone, Sho took a deep breath and opened the door…

  
  
When Sho entered the room, he saw Masaki curled up in the futon. His heart ached for him. His reasonable part knew he should let him go on his way, but his selfish feelings that urged him to keep Masaki here – with him – were stronger… He didn’t dare to dwell too much on _why_ that was. Sho settled by the door to wait patiently until Masaki felt comfortable enough to acknowledge his presence. He couldn’t hold back a soft smile when a few minutes later the boy peaked out from under the covers.  
“You must be hungry” he said softly, indicating to the tray of food he brought with him. “I take that as a ‘yes’… I’d also like to change your bandages” he said moving next to the futon.  
Those soft brown eyes were studying his face for a long time before Masaki nodded his head in consent. But as he sat up, he kept the sheets pulled up to his neck, hiding his body.  
“It won’t quite work this way” Sho said gently, despite being highly amused by the boy’s actions. He was simply too adorable. Sho never met anyone like him before. While in his world everything and everybody was hard, dark and unforgiving, Masaki was the complete opposite. He was soft, light, innocent. He was pure and Sho was tainting him every second he insisted on keeping the boy with him.  
But he couldn’t let him go…  
He worked silently on the bandages, secretly studying the young man’s face. He was staring at the sheets intently, his bangs partly covering his eyes. _‘He really **is** beautiful…’_ Sho thought in pure wonder. He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Masaki shiver under his hands. Sho cursed inwardly for not noticing before.  
“You must be cold. I’m sorry” Sho said finishing his task. He quickly took off his shirt, remaining in a tight black tanktop, and covered Masaki’s shoulders with the shirt. “It must be doing the job for now. Once you ate, you’ll be taken to the bath, you’ll be given proper clothes too”  
He heard – or saw – no objection so he reached for the soup bowl.  
“Why are you…?”  
A delicious shiver ran over Sho’s back. He wished Masaki would talk more. Just hearing his voice was heaven for him. When the question was left unfinished, he turned back to the younger man. Sho raised an eyebrow but he was more amused than anything at the sight of Masaki sitting there, covering his mouth with his own hand, looking kinda scared.  
“You want to know why I do this, right?” he asked guessing. He got no answer just a wide eyed stare. _‘I guess that means **yes** …’_ he thought. “I do this because I want you to see that I mean no harm to you, despite what you must have heard. Nor will anybody else harm you here, I can assure you of that” Sho said seriously.  
He couldn’t help but feel anger bubbling up in his chest. He was never happy with the reputation he had. He didn’t take pride in killing or such, but he long accepted that this was the necessary wrong coming with his world, with his position. He was responsible for hundreds of lives, and as long as his world was like this, this was the only way he could complete his duty and he won’t ask for forgiveness over it… But for the first time, he hated it with all his heart. It made Masaki terrified of him, and because of that, he felt more tainted than ever. Also, like this his presence was tainting Masaki too…  
“Once you’re finished, someone will come to take you to the bath” he repeated his words from earlier then got up. He didn’t dare to risk another glance at the injured man as he left the room…

  
  
“Anou… Can you tell me about Sakurai-sama?”  
Sho froze mid-step when he heard the question. Obviously the question arose his curiosity so he headed to its source. Toma’s hyena laughter was more than enough guide for him. His lieutenant seemed to freeze in mid-laughter when he spotted him at the balcony door.  
“You should just ask him” Toma said to Masaki before skirting away as quick as possible.  
Sho huffed after him slightly annoyed. When he turned back to the garden, he saw Masaki stand there, tense as ever. ‘ _As expected…_ ’ he thought somewhat bitterly.  
“Did you want to ask something?” he asked finally, settling down on the garden steps. It was obvious that the younger man won’t speak up on his own.  
A part of him started to feel tired of this silent treatment. He really wanted to believe that he wasn’t such a bad or scary person. But he might’ve been wrong… Anyway, he pushed aside his bitter feelings and looked at the younger man, waiting patiently.  
“I… I wanted to… thank you for… taking care of me…” Masaki said stuttering.  
Unconsciously Sho raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. ‘ _If only you know how much I’d like to take care of you…_ ’ he couldn’t help but think.  
“I mean taking care of my injuries!” he heard Masaki correcting himself hastily, bright red blush adoring his pretty face.  
Sho’s smirk melted into a gentle smile as he stood up to walk over to him. Slowly, not to scare the younger man, he raised his hand to touch the bandage on the boy’s temple, and he couldn’t hold himself from caressing that gorgeous face. But at the same time he felt his heart breaking.  
“I really am sorry” he whispered, apologizing for the nth time in such a short time. “You’re so young, so pretty… Yet you’re mixed up in this…”  
Before he realized their faces were only inches away. Those gorgeous eyes fluttered closed and Sho never felt so tempted in his whole life. He wanted nothing but tasting those full lips and the younger man was offering himself so eagerly…  
‘ _You can’t!_ ’ he had no idea where he found the strength or the will-power but he pulled his hand away, backing off from Masaki. He fisted his hands tight, nails biting into his palm painfully, diverting his attention from his aching heart.  
“If you need anything, just ask Toma” he pressed out through clenched teeth. ‘ _I can’t be around you… I can’t trust myself around you…_ ’ Without another word or glance, he turned around and left.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 – Aiba POV  
  


“Ano… Can you tell me about… Sakurai-sama…?”  
For a second Toma just blinked at him as if he didn’t understand the question. Then he burst out laughing. And it became Masaki’s turn to blink back at the other man in confusion.  
“Did I… say something funny?...” he asked, fidgeting with the hem of his yukata’s sleeve anxiously.  
“You… you said… _‘Sakurai-sama’_ ….” Toma said between laughter like it was the most hilarious thing he heard but the next moment he spotted something behind him, cutting his laughter. He cleared his throat. “You should just ask him” he whispered to him with an encouraging smile before turning on his heels, speed walking away from the garden.  
Masaki felt his shoulders tense but he forced himself to turn around. As expected, Sakurai was standing behind him, clad in tailored dark suit and black shirt – a sight that made Masaki’s heart beat faster – but his face was clear of any emotion. Masaki felt himself blush again, wondering whether Sakurai heard his question or not. Like on previous occasions, the yakuza leader seemed to read his mind.  
“Did you wanted ask something?” he asked as he settled on the steps leading to the garden.  
Masaki couldn’t stop his fidgeting under the gaze of those dark eyes. But at the same time, he felt himself drawn to this mysterious man who is rumored to be a cold-blooded killed yet took him in, took care of him without wanting anything in exchange… _‘But only until he finds out…’_ he thought and unexpected bitterness filled his chest at this thought.  
“I…” Masaki started and seemingly unconsciously shuffled closer to the other man. “I wanted to… thank you for… taking care of me… I mean… taking care of my injuries!” he corrected himself hastily when he realized the double meaning of his words. Bright red blush flushed his cheeks in an instant.  
A small indulgent smile appeared on Sakurai’s lips as he stood up and walked closer to him. Masaki felt his body tense at the close proximity. But for once, it wasn’t out of fear. His heart rate did pick up and he found himself holding his breath. Yet not out of terror but anticipation. Like in a dream, Masaki watched as the older man raised his hand, grazing his fingers over the bandage on his temple, caressing his face gently, and running down to his chin. The younger man was surprised to see such deep sadness in Sakurai’s dark eyes.  
“I really am sorry…” the yakuza boss said on a barely audible tone. Masaki didn’t even realize that he was leaning into his gentle touch. “You’re so young, so pretty… Yet you got mixed up in this…”  
Their faces were separated by mere inches by now, their breath mixing and Masaki felt strange anticipation washing over him, buzzing in his whole body. Longing for one more touch… He was tipping his chin up slightly, waiting… But the next moment their intimate bubble was broken. Sakurai jerked away from him, for a moment his face showed such a pained expression – or was that just Masaki’s imagination? Anyway, by the time the younger man blinked away the fog of confusion from his eyes, Sakurai was standing by the door, his face unreadable again.  
“If you need anything, just ask Toma” he said on an emotionless tone then left hurriedly.  
Masaki didn’t even try to mask the hurt feelings on his face…

Days passed before Masaki saw Sakurai again.  
Since he had nothing to do at this place, he asked Toma if he could use the kitchen. He really felt uneasy here – well, most of the time, except when _he_ was around – and cooking always calmed him down.  
“I see you made yourself at home”  
Masaki flinched a little at that voice. Slight blush raised to his cheeks as he slowly turned to look at Sakurai.  
“You said to ask Toma if I need something. So I did…” he said with unusual confidence. Probably because he was in his own element for once.  
An amused expression appeared on Sakurai’s face at this answer. He must have noticed the difference too. It made Masaki’s blush deepen.  
“That’s true” Sakurai nodded, amusement twinkling in his dark eyes, making Masaki’s heart beat pick up.  
“Ehm… would you try some, Sakurai-sama?” he asked with reddening cheeks, avoiding eye contact with the other man again.  
“Sho”  
Masaki’s head shot up in surprise.  
“Call me Sho, please” the man clarified. “And yes, I’d like to try your cooking. It smells delicious” he added with a smile.  
“S…sho-sama…” Masaki stuttered, blush spreading down his neck just from forming the man’s given name. He quickly turned to serve the ramen and gyoza he made, using this time trying to fight back the redness from his face.  
“Ittadakimasu…” Sho mumbled before taking a bite of the food. “This is really good” he praised.  
“Really? Yokatta!” Masaki sighed with relief and a bright smile appeared on his face.  
Surprisingly – at least for Masaki, for sure – he was able to forget who the other man was and they could just chat casually. The same he always did with all the customers at his part-time job.  
“You’re really good at this” Sho said with a smile when he finished eating.  
“No! I’m still so far from that. But I can learn a lot from Take-san at my part-time job. Well… I could…” Masaki said with a small shrug and busied himself with washing the dished to hide his sadness. He didn’t want the yakuza boss to see it. He knew he should be grateful for everything he already received and shouldn’t push his luck but… Sho even stayed to keep him company while he cleaned up so…  
“I… wanted to ask something from you…” Masaki said, fidgeting a little as he turned to face Sho.  
At this the other man seemed to tense, his face became unreadable again. His yakuza face…  
“I told you to ask Toma if you need something” he said and stood up to leave.  
“I know but…!” Sho already had his back to Masaki, but – with some unexpected courage – the young man grabbed the other’s wrist to stop him. Sho did stop but he didn’t turn back. “I think it’s not something he’s… _authorized_ to provide to me…” Masaki finished mumbling. He already felt his little courage slipping away. The touch of Sho’s skin made him weak in the knees…  
“What is it then?” Sho’s voice had an edge that Masaki couldn’t understand so he decided to ignore it for now.  
“Since… I can’t leave… will you let me… to make a phone call at least?” he asked on a small voice.  
“You’re not under arrest here. It’s for your own safety” the older man said almost mechanically. He pulled himself free from Masaki’s grip. “You can use that phone” he added finally motioning to the device on the wall before leaving the kitchen hurriedly.  
Masaki waited till the door was closed before rushing to the phone. For the first time in his life he regretted not having a mobile. He knew he could’ve just use the phone without asking but he was kind of terrified from the thought only what could happen if he’d have been caught…  
With slightly trembling fingers he dialed the number from heart.  
“Nino-chan?” he whispered when the other party answered the call. “I’m fine… Yeah… No, I have no idea… Most probably still Tokyo… Yeah… No! Forget it! It’s too dangerous for you!... Nino!” his voice raised without him even noticing as the desperation went higher in his tone. But before he could say anything more, the other hang up on him…  
What did he do?...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6 – Sho POV  
  


After the first day that Masaki spent in his household, Sho practically forbid himself to look for him. Living in such a huge household as his was, had its advantages as it turned out. Also, he busied himself with the smallest matters whether those actually required his attention or not. But even if he could avoid physically going after the younger man, he couldn’t actually stop his thought from wandering to him anytime they felt like it – which was _always_ or at least it seemed like that to Sho.  
When he walked into the kitchen that day, he least expected the scene that greeted him, Masaki standing there, happily cooking and humming along the way. It was such a domestic scene that it made his breath stop for a minute. He couldn’t stop the yearning bubbling up in his chest. He wished this scene could be his reality…  
“I see you made yourself at home” he commented, admiring the blush on the younger man’s cheeks when he finally turned around to face him.  
“You said to ask Toma if I need something. So I did…”  
Sho couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at this attitude. This was probably the first time he heard such a straight-forward answer from Masaki. _‘So the real you is a cheeky little thing like this…’_ he thought somewhat satisfied.  
“That’s true” he agreed smiling. It was almost weird how much lighter he felt around this man.  
“Ehm… Would you try some, Sakurai-sama?”  
“Sho. Call me Sho, please” he said clarifying when he saw Masaki’s surprised expression. He hoped this would make the younger man less tense. Also, he really wanted to hear his name from those lips… “And yes, I’d like to try your cooking. It smells delicious” he added with a smile.  
“Sho-sama…”  
A shiver ran down Sho’s body at hearing this. To his luck, Masaki was too busy hiding his own embarrassment to notice how deeply Sho was effected by such a small thing.  
“Ittadakimasu” Sho murmured when the food was served to him. “This is really good” he said honestly.  
“Really? Yokatta!”  
Sho was sure that smile that appeared on Masaki’s face at his compliment, will burn into his mind forever. Also, he was sure he’ll do anything to see that again… As he listened to Masaki’s chatting, he felt the whole situation totally unreal, yet surprisingly normal. This was how the world should be. Or more precisely, how _his_ world should be _too_. He should be able to talk normally to a man he found attractive. Without being feared… Or did he not deserve such mundane things?... But no… He knew when he accepted to be Father’s successor that _his_ wants will always come after _others’_. But it was so hard when what he wanted was so close. All he had to do was reaching out his hand…

“You’re really good at this” Sho praised when he finished.  
“It’s really nothing” Masaki said shaking his head. “Now, Take-san, at my part-job, he is a real genius! He teaches me a lot!” he said enthusiastically. “Well… he did…” he added mumbling before focusing on cleaning up the kitchen after himself.  
This really burst Sho’s little fantasy bubble of normality. He studied the other man’s back frowning. Of course he _knew_ that the younger had a life before it was all turned upside down. He must have a family who’s worried about him… But Sho had to admit – at least to himself – that he was selfish and he didn’t care about all that. He wanted to keep close this fascinating human being… He wanted to… Sho shook his head quickly. He had to leave before…  
“Ah! I wanted to ask something from you” Masaki said suddenly, fidgeting slightly.  
At this an uneasy feeling was settling in Sho’s stomach. He pressed his lips together and instead of looking at Masaki, he looked somewhere behind him.  
“I told you to ask Toma if you need something” he said standing up from the kitchen counter.  
“I know but!...”  
Sho froze completely. Masaki’s touch on his wrist sent lightning zipping over his skin. The boy’s touch was soft, gentle, Sho could’ve break it easily. But he didn’t. He couldn’t…  
“I think it’s not something he’s _authorized_ to provide…”  
“What is it then?” Sho asked, doing his best to keep those dangerous feelings of his out of his voice but he wasn’t sure he succeeded.  
“Since… I can’t leave… will you let me make a phone call?”  
That small voice made Masaki so much more vulnerable in Sho’s eyes. Made him want to protect him from everything and everybody… Though he should be protected from Sho first of all…  
“You’re not under arrest here” Sho winced slightly at his lame choice of words. They both knew on which side of the law he stood. “You’re here for your own safety” he repeated the same excuse he told to himself for the past days and he felt it was fast expiring but he couldn’t tell the truth either so he just stick with it. Freeing his hand as gently but as quickly as he could, he headed for the door. “You can use that phone” he added before exiting. As expected, he couldn’t say ‘no’ to him even if he should…

As much as he hated himself for doing it, he stood at the door for a few minutes, listening to the murmured voice of the young man while he made his call. As he walked away from the kitchen, he looked around the seemingly empty corridor.  
“Kouta!” he called for the boy and the next moment he appeared at his side with barely audible steps. Sho smiled at him, ruffling his dark hair. “You’re getting really good at this” he said praising. “Now find Ohno for me. Tell him I said: look for ‘ _Nino’_ , got it?” he instructed silently.  
“Hai, Boss!” the boy said before speeding away.  
Sho looked after him with a pang of guilt. He was just a kid yet he trained him for recon under the pretense of playing games _… ‘You train them to survive this world of yours. People like Wakana won’t care about his age…’_ Sho had to remind himself the truth of Ohno’s words to push back his guilt.  
He heard the kitchen door open behind him, he looked over his shoulder to Masaki. He was troubled with something if the way he was chewing his lower lip was anything to go by. He wanted that troubled expression to go away…  
“When should you go next?” he asked to distract both of them – Masaki from his trouble, him from the boy’s lips. “To your part-time job?”  
“Ah!” the question obviously caught the young man off-guard. Maybe he didn’t even notice that Sho was there. “That should be… tonight…” he said finally.  
“Tell Toma to take you there” he said after some thinking then walked away. He had to find Jun…

“Did you find him?”  
Sho didn’t bother with greeting when he finally found Jun. As expected, he was with Toma though he must’ve arrived only recently. Both men looked up when Sho entered the room. Toma took one glance at their leader’s face before slipping out of the room without any question, only sparing a brief glance to his boyfriend. Sho kind of admired him for how good he was at reading the situations. That was exactly the trait he chose him for.  
“Wakana?” Jun asked. “Sadly, no. That rat must’ve found some real good hole to hide this time”  
Sho cursed loudly at the news. The thought of his Masaki leaving the house while that traitor was out there… Sho froze suddenly realizing what he was thinking. _‘He’s not yours, you shouldn’t control his life, get a grip, you caveman!_ ’  
Luckily Jun noticed nothing of this inner turmoil of his leader.  
“But someone did see him that night. They swear he was bleeding, so one of us must have caught him” Jun said.  
Sho nodded reluctantly. It was still better than nothing. If the man was injured maybe he’d keep covering for the time being.  
“Anyway, I was just about to look for you before you barged in here. I have some more interesting news to share” he said with a smirk.  
“What?” Sho raised an eyebrow. Jun rarely played such games with information and this time he was really pleased for some reason.  
“Aiba’s son went missing!”  
“His successor?” Sho asked frowning. His mind already coming up with the information he knew about the said man and what they can do with the situation.  
“No, the other one! His first-born!”  
Sho’s frown deepened. This might change everything…  
The Aiba clan was his biggest and most ruthless rival. Their un-traditional line of success was no secret for Sho. Having two sons yet the younger one was assigned to become the next head while the elder was kept hidden or maybe locked up… Literally no one knew the face of Aiba’s first-born. Or at least no one lived the day to tell… But the rumor said the current head of the family had him marked with the demon moon… Whatever that meant…  
If they could find him… Find him before his own did…  
“Find out anything you can! We need to get to him first!” Sho said looking at his lieutenant seriously.  
“Hai!”


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7 - Aiba POV   
  
  


“When should you go next? To your part-time job?”  
The question caught Masaki totally off-guard. He didn’t expect Sho to be anywhere near by the time he’d finished talking to Nino. Though he had to admit he didn’t expect his friend to cut the call so short either. He looked at the man at the end of the corridor.  
“Ah! That should be tonight…” he answered after doing the math in his head. Staying inside for days caused him to totally lose track of the days.  
“Tell Toma to take you there” and with that he was left alone.  
Masaki stared after him, half in amazement, half over-excited at the thought to be allowed to leave the house. _‘He is so not like what they say about him…’_ he thought dreamily, and had to press his palm on his stomach to ease the fluttering feeling there…  
That night while Masaki worked at the ramen restaurant, he felt like the last week was nothing but a dream. But reality came back quickly when he noticed Toma was still there, waiting for him to finish closing the shop.  
“Come on, Ma-kun” Toma said grinning. “Let’s go… back…” the other man finished awkwardly, his smile turning apologetic when he realized he almost said ’let’s go home’.  
Masaki just nodded and quickly said goodbye to Take-san.  
Toma was driving in silence for a while, only stealing glances at his passenger.  
“I’m really sorry about this, Ma-kun but Boss was adamant” he said finally to break the tense silence in the vehicle. “But he’s not a bad person!” he added quickly. “He never does anything without a good reason, you see… He’s just…”  
“I know” Masaki cut in to save Toma from any further explanation he felt he needed to give to him. “I know. You were all very… kind to me though there was no reason for you…”  
“But?” Toma asked, feeling a ‘but’ there. He looked at Masaki properly since they were at a red light.  
But Masaki just shook his head, he tried to smile but even he felt it too weak to be convincing. He turned away to look out the window as the car started moving again. _‘You wouldn’t be this nice to me if you knew who I am…’_  
What he didn’t even imagine that everything goes down just in a few days…

That morning Masaki woke up to a great commotion outside his room. He was used to people going after their things but this sounded different. People were running up and down the corridor, shouting voices disrupted the pre-morning darkness. Getting up Masaki shuffled to the door. He listened to the noises for a few minutes before his curiosity got the best of him. By this time the corridor was empty but he could still hear muffled voices from not too far. He barely took two steps when...  
“Find him! Find that bastard! NOW!”  
Masaki gasped when he heard _his_ voice. Before he could do anything - like hiding back in his room - running footsteps sounded, coming his way. For a second he started to panic that they would come for him but the men of various ages just zipped past him without bothering to spare even a glance at him, but all of them wearing the same angry and determined expression on their faces.  
Masaki pressed as close to the wall as he could, letting the flood of people pass and doing his best not to attract any attention. Even closed his eyes tightly shut - just to be sure. As if the ‘ _if you don't see them, they don't see you_ ’ method would actually work and make him invisible... When the last of the footsteps died down, he slowly opened his eyes. As expected, he was alone at the corridor but before he could move, loud crashing noise and cursing rang down the now silent place. He knew by instinct that it was _him_... He didn't even try to speak himself out of it, before he walked toward the source of the noises. Another silent gasp escaped his lips. First he saw the broken sliding door. When he gathered enough courage to inch closer and look into the room...  
“Oh!”  
The cry escaped him before he could stop it. In the middle of the room, there was a body covered with white sheets. Sho kneeled next to it, head lowered, shoulder slouched but the man was breathing heavily, trembling as if to try to control himself. His hands fisted tightly, knuckles white and dripping with blood...  
“Sho-sama...” Masaki whispered, moving closer, touching the older man's shoulder gently. He had no idea what came over him to dare to touch the man but he couldn't really fight the feeling either. His heart was breaking for the man before him.  
But he didn't expect to find himself on the back the next moment. One of Sho's hand pressed down his chest, holding him down, the other gripping his wrist painfully. Tears flooded his eyes in an instant, painful whimper left his mouth as he looked up to the man above him. Sho was still panting harshly, his eyes clouded with such feral anger that Masaki never saw at anyone.  
“Sho-sama... Please...” Masaki tried to fight back the panic raising in his chest but he was not very efficient. His heart rate picked up, his throat closed up making it harder to breath with every second. His free hand grabbed on Sho's forearm, tugging at it, trying to free himself but it was like trying to move a marble pillar, impossible. “Sho...” the pitiful whimper slipped his lips, tears sliding down his temples...  
It might've been his voice, it might've been the sight in front of him; Masaki was not sure. But through his tears he still saw as Sho's eyes suddenly widen in shock, his grip loosening on his wrist and stopped pressing down on his chest, instead he pulled him up sitting.  
“I'm... so sorry...” he mumbled, his fingers hovering over Masaki's tear stained face. “Please, tell me I... didn't hurt you...” the yakuza leader actually sounded scared at the moment which was definitely a first for the younger man.  
As quickly as it came, Masaki felt the panic subsiding and his breathing slowly returned to normal. He shook his head slowly, tugging down the sleeve of his yukata, fiddling with it.  
“No, I'm fine...” he mumbled. “I'm fine!” he repeated with a bit more resolve when he saw that the man kept staring at his face doubtfully. Masaki met his eyes and looked back at him as calm as he could. “But you're not” he said taking the man's still bleeding hand in his gently. “Let me take care of this for you...” he asked standing up and pulling Sho out of the room. He thought Sho should get out of that room - he was sure he himself needed to...

He led the man back to his room where Toma left the first aid kit after he last changed the bandages on his shoulder.  
After such a ruckus he caused in the other room - based on the ruins - Sho was surprisingly pliant, or rather numb under Masaki's hand. He let himself be pushed down sitting on the floor, and waited for the boy to get the kit, staring at nothing with glassy eyes.  
“You don't have to do this” Sho said suddenly. “I can just ask someone else to...”  
“No!” Masaki closed his slightly trembling fingers around Sho’s hand gently. “I want to...” he admitted blushing deeply and started to wipe away the blood with a cotton ball.  
While he worked, he felt the other’s eyes on him. He turned his gaze up, looking at the man through the bangs that fell in his eyes.  
“I’m trained in medicine, if that’s what worries you” he offered the man’s own words with a straight face. He really had enough practice in taking care of wounds, though he probably wouldn’t be able to stitch him up the way he did for him but luckily, his current injury wasn’t that serious. His words reached their goal because first Sho raised an eyebrow but then the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. This in return made Masaki smile too.  
“I’m sorry for you loss…” Masaki said silently after he finished patching up Sho’s hands. He might have no idea who the dead man was but he could see how his death tore Sho apart. “Can I… do something… _anything_ for you?...” he asked whispering. Seeing such pain in Sho’s eyes was killing him, and he felt so powerless not knowing what he should do.  
Despite his obvious sadness, Sho smiled at him softly. He cradled Masaki’s face in his hands and looked at him as if he was his most treasured possession.  
“You already did” he whispered back. “Arigatou” he pressed his lips to his forehead gently then walked out of the room…

Masaki thought that after such morning, nothing could surprise him that day but then he didn’t know yet how wrong he was about that…  
He was sitting on the steps leading to the balcony garden – his favorite place, as ridiculous as that sounded in his current situation. Ever since morning, or more precisely since Sho kissed him – forehead or not – he felt like he was floating. He was staring dreamily at nothing, small smile adoring his lips when he heard it.  
Loud shouting, and yelling disturbed the otherwise peaceful afternoon in the house. Masaki frowned at this. _‘Please, don’t let it be another dead man…’_ he thought desperately.  
“What happened?” he asked Toma when he found him.  
“No idea” the other man said shaking his head, then set off to find out. He didn’t stop Masaki from following him. They already realized that they were similar when it came to curiosity.  
They turned a corner and Masaki stopped abruptly.  
“Nino-chan!”


End file.
